WDWNT Reporter Josh Siegel visited the Magic Kingdom yesterday and has some newsworthy photos to share with us:
Ticket prices are going up… but we only report on real news, so let’s move on 🙂
Read More about Josh Siegel’s 8/4/10 Magic Kingdom Photo Report
Not surprising, but I’m sure many of you will be excited to hear this news from the Disney Parks Blog:
Just as scores of you had hoped – we’re leaving the lights on and extending Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” at Walt Disney World. By popular demand, the parade at Magic Kingdom Park will continue an open-ended run when “Summer Nightastic!” ends on August 14.
It’s probably no surprise to hear that the parade has been one of our highest rated entertainment experiences at Magic Kingdom Park since returning in early June. It’s been an “overwhelming success,” according to Park Vice President Phil Holmes. And now, you’ll be able to continue cheering and humming “Baroque Hoedown.”
Of course, new elements of Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” will continue during the encore phase of the run. Those include:
- Tinker Bell leads the eye-filling procession, waving from the basket of a balloon floating gracefully above a magical garden shimmering in fairy light.
- Pinocchio and the boys from the classic film’s Pleasure Island sequence join the parade, and Snow White joins the Seven Dwarfs on a diamond mine float.
- There are new lighting effects, and the parade’s highly recognizable musical theme is brightened by new technology.
Will you take advantage of the extended run?
If you’ll be spending the very busy July 4th holiday at Walt Disney World, you may want to take note of the following:
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Guests celebrating the Fourth of July at Walt Disney World Resort will have a choice of fireworks shows as Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios present special pyrotechnics, and Epcot adds a patriotic “tag” to its famous “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” spectacular. Here’s what’s in store (entertainment and park hours are subject to change without notice):
Magic Kingdom – “Celebrate America Fireworks” will fill the sky at 9 p.m. July 4 (guests who’d like to begin the celebratory weekend a day early can enjoy the special fireworks on July 3 at 9 p.m.). After the fireworks, guests can enjoy Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” of lights, music and magic at 10 p.m. and midnight on July 4 (on July 3, the parade will be at 10:30 p.m.). Park hours on July 4 are 8 a.m.-1 a.m.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Special fireworks set to a rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack will be presented at 9:50 p.m. on July 4, providing guests with a bonus nighttime entertainment extravaganza to complement “Fantasmic!” (which will be at 9 and 10:30 p.m.). Park hours on July 4 are 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Epcot – “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” which features dazzling special effects, colorful lasers, brilliant fireworks, and fiery torches all choreographed to a musical score, becomes even more dynamic on July 4 as the normal show is supplemented with a patriotic finale. The performance begins at 10 p.m. Earlier in the day, guests will be treated to the Voices of Liberty 4th of July Concert – featuring an expanded cast of singers plus the Spirit of America Fife and Drum Corps and Disney characters – at 12:30, 1:45 and 3 p.m. on the America Gardens Theatre stage. Park hours on July 4 are 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Guests can enjoy all the regular attractions and shows on July 4 from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
We apologize for the lack of updates on the site lately, we’ve had a lot going on as we prepare for a number of new projects and continue to cover Summer Nightastic! at both the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts. In the meantime, here are some videos of the first performances of the Main Street Electrical Parade and the Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular from this weekend (embedded via the WDWNTube):
WDWNT Reporter Josh Siegel was lucky enough to be able to attend the cast member preview of the Main Street Electrical Parade at the Magic Kingdom last night, but lucky for us, he took a few photos to share:
The name change at Cinderella’s Golden Carousel is official
Read More about Josh Siegel’s 6/3/10 Magic Kingdom Photo Report (Electrical Parade Preview)
Disney has released a video of the Main Street Electrical Parade being packed up at the Disneyland Resort to be sent to Walt Disney World for Summer Nightastic. This great behind-the-scenes video has been embedded via the WDWNTube:
Disney has confirmed that the Main Street Electrical Parade and Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular will debut on June 5th at the Magic Kingdom for what is being called a Passholder preview:
Clear your calendar for Saturday, June 5, 2010, and get over to theMagic Kingdom® Park for an advance viewing of the return of perhaps the most beloved and adored Disney parade in history! The Main Street Electrical Parade is back as part of Summer Nightastic! Check it out at 9 and 11 p.m., or both!
Plus! That same night, Passholders* can check out the new Summer Nightastic! Fireworks Spectacular at 10 p.m., with special light effect viewing glasses, provided free to who? Passholders, that’s who. Pick up your free glasses between 4 and 8 p.m. at the Rose Garden entrance near Tomorrowland® and enjoy the show.
To learn more about the special advance viewing of Summer Nightastic! for Passholders, go to disneyworld.com/passholder.
*Weekday Select and Epcot® After 4pm Passholders are welcome but will require admission to Magic Kingdom Park.
While listed as a passholder preview, the park is open to the general public during these performances. The only real perks for Passholders are that they are being informed about these preview performances (it is still advertised as Spectromagic and Wishes! performing on the DisneyWorld.com calendar) and are provided the strange glasses usually distributed at the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney has updated the press release for Summer Nightastic to include the “Rock N’ Glow Dance Party” and the rather generic name for the new fireworks show that will run at the Magic Kingdom:
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” will light up the streets of Magic Kingdom, headlining a season of after-dark excitement coming to Walt Disney World Resort in summer 2010.
Beginning June 6 and continuing through Aug. 14, “Summer Nightastic!” will light up the night with shimmering, shining Disney magic in Walt Disney World theme parks. Here’s a look at what’s in store:
- Showcasing floats and characters appearing at Walt Disney World Resort for the first time, Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” returns with its joyous sights and sounds. Direct from Disneyland Resort and marking its first engagement in Florida since 2001, the cherished parade will be led by Tinker Bell waving from the basket of a magical balloon aboard a new float. Pinocchio and Snow White join the parade this summer aboard bright new floats. Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” is set for its summer-long nighttime premiere June 6 at Magic Kingdom.
- The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios welcomes “drop-ins” this summer with even more pulse-racing surprises. New lighting effects created especially for “Summer Nightastic!” will bring unexpected frights to guests who step into that infamous service elevator … if they dare.
- “Summer Nightastic!” also means music! In the courtyard of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, “Rock N’ Glow Dance Party” will have guests wanting to “trip the light fantastic” to sizzling summer sounds being spun by DJs. And at Epcot, the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series returns (June 12-July 31) with bands playing musical tributes to artists who filled summers gone by with musical magic.
- What could be more summery than fireworks on a star-studded night? Magic Kingdom will treat guests to “Summer Nightastic Fireworks Spectacular,” filling the night sky with vivid colors and brilliant visual effects while whimsical music fills the air.
From hotels to restaurants, parks and attractions, parades and special events; everyone has their favorite. Every time they eat at a particular restaurant, stay in the same hotel, ride the same ride or see the same parade – it’s like it’s for the first time. One of those is the Main Street Electrical Parade.
At a press conference on February 10th, Walt Disney World Resort President Meg Crofton announced a number of changes and updates for the Florida resort including the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade. The parade is part of Walt Disney World’s summer promotion, Summer Nightastic! and will be replacing SpectroMagic. As of press time, there has been no word on what is happening to SpectroMagic. Some say it’s being refurbished and enhanced for Walt Disney World’s 40th Anniversary in 2011 and others say it’s being transferred to Disneyland, but until there is official word from the Walt Disney Company everything is just speculation at this point.
The Main Street Electrical Parade is a nighttime parade that features floats and live performers covered in thousands of electronically controlled lights and a synchronized soundtrack triggered by radio controls along key areas of the parade route.
The parade is known by two different names: at Disneyland it is known as The Main Street Electrical Parade (MSEP), and at Walt Disney World it is simply known as Main Street Electrical Parade. However, the officially registered name is The Main Street Electrical Parade. The last time the parade was seen at Walt Disney World was on April 1, 2001 before heading cross-country to Disneyland. The parade has undergone a number of incarnations since its debut and the Disneyland version is expected to arrive at Walt Disney World pretty much intact.
Read More about A History of the Main Street Electrical Parade by Chuck Mirarchi
Here is a complete video of the festivities from last night’s “What’s New, What’s Next for Walt Disney World” press event, recorded by WDWNT’s own Matt Paul:
